Doug Martin no longer in walking boot

Vincent Jackson, Doug Martin, and safeties Dashon Goldson and Mark Barron were mentioned in some trade rumors before the deadline, and it seemed like Martin had the best chance of being dealt, but it was actually Barron who was shipped out, as he is now a member of the St. Louis Rams. Martin is left in an awkward place, as he can’t be too sure if the Buccaneers actually want him around. With rookie Charles Sims, whom the Bucs seem to be high on, set to come off the short-term IR, Martin could find it difficult to get touches in the offense.

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The Pewter Plank

For now, his focus is on getting healthy, because he’s not going to get any touches if he isn’t healthy this week. According to the Tampa Bay Times’s Greg Auman, Martin was not able to practice today, but, on the bright side, he was able to shed his walking boot. There’s now at least some chance of Martin playing, though the smart money would be on him sitting.

If Martin is unable to play, then it will be the Bobby Rainey and Charles Sims show in Tampa Bay, and I have a feeling Lovie Smith and the rest of the coaching staff might like those two more than Martin, who was a rookie revelation but hasn’t been “in form” since. Even if Martin is healthy enough to play, I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Sims also out-touched him against the Cleveland Browns.